


A Night To Remember - A High School Reunion AU

by dorkpatroller



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Falling In Love Again, Fluff, Gift Fic, High School Reunion AU, M/M, Modern AU, prom au, rekindled feelings, the word horny is in here once but its not actually so bad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-11
Updated: 2018-09-11
Packaged: 2019-07-10 22:40:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15959078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dorkpatroller/pseuds/dorkpatroller
Summary: There was something wild and crazy about that summer. They were young and in love and they fell so hard and so fast that they never stood a chance. But life got in the way and by the time they meet again it's ten years later at a high school reunion.based on the songs Bruises by Train and Dancing Away With My Heart by Lady Antebellum





	A Night To Remember - A High School Reunion AU

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lieano](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lieano/gifts).



_ Niles has been sitting on this table for the last half hour. The room is dim and lit up by colored lights. He can’t see all that well in here, but he doesn’t have to, to know what’s going on. People are just having fun. It’s their senior prom. That’s what they’re meant to do.  _

 

_ He lost track of Odin a while ago. The only reason Niles agreed to come to prom was for him. He said he didn’t want to miss his senior prom but that he didn’t want to go alone either. It seemed silly. Laslow is here. Granted, he’s on the arm of a girl for once in his life… but he’s here. Odin wouldn’t have been alone.  _

 

_ Part of Niles didn’t mind one bit, though. Odin asked him to come with him and he accepted without hesitation. Odin is his friend. Sure, their friendship came on rapidly and stupidly, but… they’re very close. He has a home ec teacher to thank for that.  _

 

_ They met because there weren’t enough boy/girl pairs in the class. She asked them if they wouldn’t mind pairing up to be a ‘dad duo’ in the flour sack baby assignment. Neither of them protested, but they hadn’t met prior to that moment. Looking back on it, Niles is lucky he had Odin to do that project with him. Or for him, really, because he took over the whole thing. They even got extra credit. Probably because Odin is just so… extra.  _

 

_ Since then they’ve been pretty inseparable. Odin is a nerd and Niles pretends to be cool but honestly their personalities mesh in a sort of perfect yin-yang way. It definitely started out fast and strong as a friendship Niles assumed would last forever. Like Leo--but Leo is a year younger than they are--Odin took a spot in Niles’s very guarded heart.  _

 

_ Unlike Leo, it didn’t really stop at friendship, though. Maybe because Niles has known Leo for years, but Odin just kind of showed up one day and forced his way into his life. Maybe because Odin is a disease that started in his mind and slowly overtook his heart? But Niles has certainly developed feelings beyond the friendly variety.  _

 

_ So he can thank his home ec teacher for putting them together on that assignment because it subsequently caused a snowball effect that led to Niles sitting alone on a table at prom sipping watered down lemonade and wondering where Odin even  _ went _.  _

 

_ He doesn’t have to wonder long. Not a whole breath later the table wobbles a little and Odin joins him sitting on the side of it. These tables are just the round, folding sort that they use in the school cafeteria. Niles won’t be fooled by fancy tablecloths. It’ll probably flip over on them if they don’t distribute their weight properly, but… Niles ignores that.  _

 

_ Instead, he looks at Odin and he speaks up over the music. "Oh, no. There he is. Where have you been? I haven't noticed you dancing."  _

 

_ Odin looks at him briefly but then turns to look out over the dance floor. Lots of laughing, smiling, probably sweaty teenagers out there living it up in dresses and tuxes they'll never wear again. He has to turn back to Niles to talk, though. It’s too loud in here otherwise.  _

 

_ “Even heroes have their weaknesses, Niles! Mine is… tonight I’m feeling a little shy. I’m too nervous to ask my preferred partner.” _

 

_ “Preferred… wait, so you have someone specific in mind? Since when? You should have just asked them to prom, not gone with a friend.” Niles wants to know. Maybe he’s a little jealous, but more than that he’s ready to lay down his feelings to get Odin anything he wants.  _

 

_ “Since..! A while.” Odin shrugs his shoulders. Niles shakes his head.  _

 

_ "Alright. Well, I'm no token-wingman- _ Laslow _ but he's preoccupied right now anyway. I'm ready though: who are we asking out," Niles scoots a little closer. Presumably, so he can see the crowd from Odin's perspective, but that's not the case. He's not a good wingman. He's better at making fun of people than helping them get dates.  _

 

_ (For what it’s worth, Laslow is awful at getting dates too. The fact that a girl agreed to go to prom with him is unbelievable. He’d bet money that she’s doing it as a dare or because she pitied him. But they’re dancing, so… it must be going okay.) _

 

_ “I don’t know, Niles,” Odin mutters. “What if I embarrass myself? We don’t have much school year left for me to repair a broken ego. Senior year is my last chance to leave an impression.”  _

 

_ “That doesn’t sound like the Odin I know,” Niles says. Odin is usually so full of confidence! “Don’t be a little bitch. Just ask.”  _

 

_ Silence hangs between them for a moment. Or, well, not  _ silence _. The DJ speaks up over his microphone and announces that this will be the final slow song of the evening. Odin looks up and Niles smirks. Maybe he’s realizing it’s now or never? He needs to march right over to whoever this girl is and-- _

 

_ “Will you dance with me?” Odin asks. Makes eye contact. Smiles in a way that’s way too shy but also way too cute for Niles to cope with.  _

 

_ “What,” Niles blurts. He’s hallucinating. “Oh. You--you’re practicing what you’re going to say? That was good. Very direct.”  _

 

_ “No. No, Niles, I’m asking you. Do you want to dance with me? You can say no--it’s--I mean,” Odin trails off.  _

 

_ Niles keeps staring at him like he’s crazy. Odin isn’t crazy, though. Niles is just recovering from his brain briefly turning into pudding. He laughs, but he’s not laughing at Odin. It’s just a shy, embarrassed laugh. He can’t help it! _

 

_ But this is the last slow song of the night and it’s already started, so he knows he needs to answer. Now or never, right? He was literally just thinking about his weird crush on Odin. “Yeah,” He says. “Yeah, okay. Let’s dance.”  _

 

_ It’s heartwarming. Relief floods onto Odin’s face in the form of a big, bright smile. He slides off the table and holds out his hand and Niles  _ takes it  _ because he can’t really believe this is happening. _

 

_ He would have thought trying to figure out how to dance would be awkward, but as it happens Odin has it figured out already. He guides Niles’s hands into place and then it’s just… easy. The music is loud but also calm. The lights are still colorful and obnoxious but out here they’re bouncing off of a tacky disco ball.  _

 

_ The lights are shitty but Odin is like his own light source when he's smiling like that. And blushing--he could light up the entire room with how red his damn blush is. It's adorable. (Niles tries to pretend he's not blushing right now, too.)  _

 

_ He drums his fingertips against the fabric of Odin’s jacket. “So,” Niles says, “Does this mean you asked me to prom on purpose, or what?”  _

 

_ “Uh! Yes. Yeah, I did.” Odin doesn’t even look at Niles! He looks like a shamed puppy. It’s precious and it lights a tiny fire in Niles. Odin planned this. He asked him to  _ prom _ for this. That means he probably has the same damn feelings Niles does.  _

 

_ Leo told him to just ask Odin out and he really should have listened, but Niles was far more willing to ignore his own feelings to save a little face. The song is almost over. Two minutes sure does move fast when it feels like you’re on a time limit to admit your feelings, huh?  _

 

_ “It also means, if you wanted, we could… you know… maybe date. If you want!” Odin stumbles through the most important sentence Niles thinks he’s heard in his eighteen years of life. He’s been waiting for this. Probably for longer than he realized, but certainly all evening. And Odin is taller than him, the idiot grew like a weed this past year, so Niles is forced to push himself onto the platforms of his feet just to smoosh their mouths together to kiss him. _

 

_ It happens just a little too fast and a little too aggressively, but it still happens. Niles… hasn’t kissed anyone before this. He’s lied and said he has, of course. He’s not going to own up to never being kissed when he works so hard to maintain his ‘cool, aloof’ aesthetic. But his fingers curl up in Odin’s sleeve and he kisses him too fast and too hard and he laughs, a little accidentally, against his lips when he hears Odin make a squeaky whine. _

 

_ He peels his lips away and he asks, “What?”  _

 

_ “That hurt!” Odin laughs. He reaches up between them and touches his own lips.  _

 

_ “Bullshit. I bet you just didn’t expect it and you’re trying to cover up that squeak.”  _

 

_ “No! You smashed my lip right into my braces,” Odin laughs. Niles is fucking embarrassed but… he thinks he can play it off.  _

 

_ “So,” Niles says, “You don’t want to do it again.”  _

 

_ “What? Hey! No way--I want to do that like a million more times. Just maybe warn a guy before you kiss him for the first time next time.”  _

 

_ “I’m never going to have another first kiss with you again, idiot,” Niles teases… but he’s happy. So he reaches for Odin’s hand and pulls him, ever so gently, away from the dance floor and away from the dumb dance altogether. _

 

**.** **✫** ***ﾟ･ﾟ｡.** **☆** **.*｡･ﾟ** **✫** ***.･** **✫** ***ﾟ･ﾟ｡.** **★** **.*｡･ﾟ** **✫** ***.** ****

The house is anything but calm that night. The girls have just had dinner and Niles expected them to play quietly until bedtime. That’s what they  _ typically _ do. But tonight is atypical for all of them. He’s going out tonight, and it’s like they can sense his fear. 

 

Nina preys on it, no doubt. “ _ Dad _ ,” she whines, “When will you come home?”

 

Niles combs his fingers through her hair. She’s only so tall as to come up to his waist, but she has enough attitude for someone ten feet tall. He hums at her. “After your bedtime, probably. So promise me you’ll be good tonight and help keep your sister in line.” 

 

Speaking of, Ophelia toddles over and hugs onto Niles’s leg. She’s clingy, hasn’t reached an age where things like ‘daddy’s girl’ become an insult yet. So he scoops her up and kisses her tiny nose. “What’s wrong with you?” 

 

“I miss you!” Ophelia cries. Niles snorts.

 

“I’m still here, little luv.” 

 

“But I  _ will _ miss you!” 

 

“You’ll be just fine. Both of you will. It’s just one night, and Uncle Leo is staying here with you. You won’t even know I’m gone.” Then again… Niles doesn’t really want to go to this dumb reunion. It’s not really his style and he would much rather stay home and do coloring pages with Ophelia and Nina. “Unless it’s too much work?” He asks Leo.

 

Leo has been his best friend for years. Through thick and thin. They actually live together now, so it’s not as if he’s going out of his way to watch Niles’s daughters. He sees them every day. Which is exactly why he shakes his head and points to the door. “I will kick you out of this house.” 

 

“I  _ really _ don’t anticipate enjoying this reunion…” it’s going to be awful and he can already tell. He’s going to see all of the people he couldn’t be bothered to care about  _ in high school _ and he’s going to hear about how happy and successful they are. Then the same two idiots who were prom king and queen will somehow be idolized again. He’s already figured the evening out. Attending seems pointless.

 

“It’s already paid for. So go, get out. I’ll watch your kids. You need time to yourself now and then too” 

 

Just like that he’s kicked out of his own house! Or, well, it’s technically Leo’s house. Maybe that entitles him to kick Niles out now or then. Unfortunately for Niles, the reunion is everything he expects. 

 

There’s a bunch of round tables he hasn't sat at since he was a kid. It's the gymnasium of his old high school. They haven't updated the thing since he was a student, clearly. Whoever decorated clearly hasn't grown up since high school either, because the decorations rival what he would expect from a student-organized mixer. Thankfully the food and drink are catered. There's a bar too. Niles swung up there just to get the one (single) free drink he was offered and since then he's just been… sitting on a table. 

 

Not at it. Those tables are meant for children, honestly. He didn’t like sitting  _ at them _ when he was in high school. There’s a dancefloor. He’s mostly people watching. Despite it being… well, boring, it does kind of take him back. He sees faces he recognizes. He’s noticed a few people he used to talk with every day. People he hasn’t thought about in years. 

 

Then, regrettably, he sees one person he's thought about every day for ten years. Except for today. What exactly made Niles forget that Odin was in his graduating class? They walked together. But it happens so fast: Their eyes meet across the room. Odin's eyes get wide--beautiful and bright and green as they always were. Niles's heart stops… and then he slides off the table and decides it's time to go home. 

 

**✫✫✫**

_ “C’mon, c’mon, c’mon!” Odin says. He’s dragging Niles by his wrist, ducking through crowds and people taking photographs. It’s graduation day and, well, they’ve just graduated. But instead of running to meet their families or go home, like most kids, Odin is dragging Niles off to see something. “We can still make it!”  _

 

_ “To  _ what _?” Niles asks. He tries to keep pace but “Can you slow down like a little? You grew like ten inches this year.” _

 

_ "My dad is just really tall," Odin calls back over his shoulder. He does not slow down. Instead, it's like he runs faster until he gets to a flight of stair and Niles shakes his head.  _

 

_ “What--no way."  _

 

_ "Hurry!" Odin argues. He drags him. Up the stairs, around a corner, up another landing… and then out onto the roof. The air is cool because it's still Spring and the sun is starting to set. Oh--but then he understands. Odin glows in the sunset and Niles is pretty sure if he blinks he’ll just melt away into the vanishing light. “Today,” Odin says, “The sun sets on our last day in high school… but tomorrow the sun will rise on a future.”  _

 

_ He looks sort of like a greeting card wearing his gown and with his cap hanging in one hand. His other hand is still loosely hanging on to Niles's… and so Niles winds their pinky fingers together like a gentle promise. "Let's face the future together, yeah?"  _

 

_ “Definitely!”  _

 

_ "Great. Never make me run upstairs again, okay? I'm gonna have a heart attack up here."  He sways dramatically and leans his shoulder into Odin's. It's just a playful excuse to lean his head against his while they watch the remains of the sunset.  _

**✫✫✫**

 

What is he supposed to say to Odin? Hi, how’s it going, it’s been ten years? He doesn’t want to talk to him. He’ll forget himself, he’ll embarrass himself, he’ll daydream.

 

But then he hears fast steps behind him and he hates to imagine that Odin  _ ran  _ across the room. He cared enough to run to catch up… and then a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Niles! Wait! I was hoping to meet you here.” 

 

_ Just fake a smile and get out ASAP _ , Niles tells himself. He’s got to. So he turns around to face Odin and… well, hell. 

 

Niles remembers Odin distinctly as a noodley eighteen-year-old with braces. He’s looking at a grown man with a perfect smile and it’s  _ weird _ . Sure, yeah, Niles grew up too but… Who said Odin was allowed to? “You’re all grown up,” Niles says out loud. He tries to smile, tries to come up with something to talk about. It just comes out the dreaded “How’s it going?” 

 

Odin laughs. Hell, it’s exactly the same. Cute belly laughs that make Niles remember a time when he was allowed to reach up and kiss him. Now he’s just faced with swallowing nervously. “It’s  _ going _ . You’re not leaving, are you? I wanted to catch up. Please?” 

 

Why does he have to say please? And those puppy eyes… a smile more genuine than Niles wants to admit spreads over his lips and he shakes his head. “Nah. Not going anywhere yet. So,” He folds his arms. “What is Odin Dark up to after all these years? Or do people still call you that?”  

 

Odin’s smile twitches wider. “We both know no one ever called me that,” He says. But he tucks his hands into his back pockets and goes on to say “Well… I went to school in Ylisse.” 

 

“Mhm, that part I know. I helped you move into that dorm.” 

 

“That you did!”

 

Niles can still remember it. It was after they had already begun to consider splitting up… but how could he not help him? They were still friends. But even though they were trying to break up they still found themselves kissing, and Niles still spent a night there curled up with Odin. Best to break the rules of the dorm from the gate.

 

“Anyway, after that I got an internship, and then a pretty nice job, and I’ve just been… staying in Ylisse. So… what about you? What have you been doing?” 

 

"Working. Retail--I never did finish school and mocking middle-aged women who stir up a fuss is something of a hobby of mine. But my real job isn't arguing with customers, it's arguing with children. I have a couple of daughters who keep me on the run." 

 

“What?” Odin gasps, “Since when! I had no idea. Are you married? How old are they?” 

 

“One’s five and the other’s three. Not married, though. Never did tie that knot.” Niles hums to himself. “She left me about two years ago. Didn’t even tell me. I just came home from picking up the girls one day and all her stuff was gone.” 

 

“Oh.” 

 

Niles waves his hand. “I’m better off without her. So are the girls. Anyway, I’m glad you’re doing well in Ylisse. You never did seem happy here. Nohr was too gloomy for someone as bright as you.” 

 

Odin’s face falls. Niles hates to see that, but he’s really not trying to throw a pity party. He’s just trying to get through this conversation without accidentally swooning or something. 

 

When he went to college they were convinced they could make long distance work. After a few months, they realized they couldn't, and they decided to be friends. At the moment Niles really thought that was fine, and that they could do it. Instead, he figured out quickly that he couldn't. "Whatever happened to that girl you were dating? Shit, I forget her name." 

 

“What girl?” Odin asks, skeptically. “There was Cynthia for a while, but we were never dating. We were just partnered up in three classes so we spent a lot of time studying together.” 

 

Oh. Niles closes his mouth. They stopped talking when Odin started spending more time with Cynthia. Niles panicked. He assumed Odin would date her, was dating her, and he couldn’t cope with it. From that first kiss at their senior prom all the way up until Odin was off at college, they had the summer of their lives. They went to movies, theme parks,  museums, they spent lazy summer days making out on Odin’s bed with the fan on and popsicles melting on his nightstand, and they fell wildly in love too fast and too hard. 

 

Then Niles stopped talking to Odin altogether because he didn’t want to hear about him dating anyone else. 

 

“Tell me about your daughters! Do you have pictures?” 

 

Does he have any pictures--ha! Only a million. And for that moment Niles forgets himself and just wants to show off his babies. He steps closer to Odin and tugs out his phone to swipe through a few photos with him. “This is Nina. She’s a brat. I mean literally the worst--I love her so much. She’s always getting into trouble.” 

 

“She looks just like you,” Odin says. There’s a softness in his voice that makes Niles pause.

 

“Yeah,” He agrees, “Except way cuter. Oh, here, there’s her sister. She’s much better behaved. She’s still in preschool but she’s a lot clingier than Nina. It’s harder to get her out of my lap.” 

 

“And her name?” 

 

“Ophelia,” Niles answers. And then, abruptly, he freezes. 

 

**✫✫✫**

_ “Is it so hard to put a diaper on her?” Odin asks. He takes the stupid bag of flour and starts fiddling with the diaper. Niles raises his eyebrow as high as it goes. _

 

_ “Well she’s not a she, she’s a bag of flour. And it’s not like diapers were made to fit flour sacks. This is the stupidest project we’ve ever done.”  _

 

_ He doesn’t see the merit. Real babies whine and cry and need attention and Niles doesn’t do that for the flour sack at all. He just sets it on the shelf in his room and fills out the ‘parenting log’ saying he did all the things he didn’t. Rock it, burp it, feed it, etcetera. It’s a bag of flour.  _

 

_ “I think you mean the easiest. And look at her! She’s cute.”  _

 

_ Niles snorts. “Drawing a face on her doesn’t make her any less of a bag of flour, dork.”  _

 

_ “What if I glued a bow on her?”  _

 

_ “Nope, she’s still just a flour sack.”  _

 

_ “Listen, I know it seems dumb. It is! But it’s basically free points and I don’t know about you, but I need all the free points I can get in this class. Sewing wasn’t my strong suit.” Odin settles down at his desk and then he grins at Niles. “But for what it’s worth, you do keep calling her a she.”  _

 

_ “Wha,” has he? Niles clears his throat. “It’s just a bag of flour and I absolutely refuse to get into this. And  _ Ophelia Dusk _ is dumb. No one in their right mind would ever name their kid Ophelia. Wasn’t she like a witch or something?”  _

 

_ “She was Hamlet’s wife--that’s what you’re thinking of. She wasn’t a witch she was just driven to insanity. It’s a tragedy. Haha, get it?”  _

 

_ “No.”  _

 

_ Odin rolls his eyes. “Before she was a character in Hamlet though, she was a different character. A hero! She who helps! Any daughter of mine should be a hero as well.”  _

 

_ Niles slips into his own desk and he sets his face in his hands. “Odin, has anyone ever told you that you’re a damn weirdo?”  _

**✫✫✫**

 

Maybe Odin won’t remember, he tells himself. Niles named his daughter Ophelia but he named her very specifically after another local Ophelia. He named her after the flour sack baby that he shared with Odin in high school. No one else really knows. Leo doesn’t act like he remembers the name (and quite frankly at the time Niles thought it was the stupidest project of his life so it’s not as if he bragged about it) and his ex never asked either. 

 

So maybe, he thinks, Odin won’t remember. But he thinks wrong. Only one quick glance and Odin has a curious smile growing across his lips. And gods, who gave him permission to smile like that? Why is he twice as handsome as he was before? Or, more importantly, why was he looking for Niles? “Don’t look at me like that.” 

 

“Ophelia Dusk!” Odin chimes before Niles can prevent it. “I can’t believe it is mere coincidence that your darling daughter bears the name I picked out for our flour-filled child.” 

 

"It's just a nice name, is all," Niles lies. Odin seems to buy it because he flips through a few more pictures of the girls before he hands the phone back with no more shame inflicted. Niles's pride is wounded either way, of course, but it's good to know Odin didn't dwell on it. 

 

“They’re both beautiful. They take after you in that regard,” Odin says.

 

Niles, for the love of all things holy, in his  _ adult _ life, blushes. He can’t even remember the last time that happened. He clears his throat and tucks his phone into his back pocket. “Er, anyway,” he says quickly, “Did you see Laslow over there? Do you remember that moron?” 

 

Odin laughs again but at least it’s not at Niles. “Yes! He came with me, here. He ended up transferring into the same school as me so we never lost touch--he’s still my best friend.”

 

“What kind of friend are you that you’re over here talking with me and not focusing on sparing some of his dignity?” Niles is just teasing. He doesn’t want Odin to go. How come Laslow gets to be Odin’s best friend? He’s jealous. He knows it’s absurd. He’s not allowed to be jealous. Not when he’s the one who made their entire friendship dissolve. 

 

“He’s not doing any harm. He’s really just catching up! He’s married now--he’s got a little girl about Nina’s age. So… are you and Leo still close?” 

 

“What? Yeah,” Niles mumbles. They’ve always been close. They always will, he knows. “He’s got the girls right now. I live with him.”

 

“Oh! Are you two..?” 

 

“No.” Niles shakes his head. They’re not an item. It’s not as if he hasn’t considered it before, it’s just that they’ve been friends for so long it feels dangerous to press his luck on that. Plus… Leo deserves much better than a man with a broken heart that won’t heal. “Just friends. He’s out of my league.” 

 

“Wh? Nonsense. If Leo is your true love then you need to fight for him. Leagues are made up.” 

 

“Love is blind, then?” 

 

“Certainly not. Love is not blind. Love has never been blind, either,” Odin says. He folds his arms like he’s very serious about this topic. “If love were blind she’d have no choice. But she does have a choice. Love sees everything: our flaws, our failures, our missed chances… and she chooses to close her eyes to them. Love knows, but she loves anyway.” 

 

It’s poetic. Exactly like something Odin would say. He hasn’t changed at all, and maybe that’s why talking about love--listening to him talk so passionately about love and chasing after the one you want most--hurts. After all, when Niles slipped quietly out of Odin’s life… Odin didn’t chase  _ him _ . “I’m not in love with Leo.” 

 

“It’s a piece of wisdom that no doubt applies to whomever you fall in love with,” Odin says. 

 

“Yeah? Where’d you learn it?” 

 

“I learned it the hard way,” Odin says vaguely. But not vaguely enough! Just the right amount of vague to make Niles wonder if he means  _ him _ . It’s not that he’s got that big of an ego, but he can remember vividly the first time Odin said he loved him. 

 

**✫✫✫**

_ “Niles!” Odin says. “You’re here!” He runs quickly down the steps of his mother’s front porch and when he meets Niles in the yard and cups his face, pulls him close, and kisses him hard. Niles, needless to say, is breathless in a heartbeat.  _

 

_ It’s not the sort of kiss that’s appropriate for public. They’re not living in a romance movie, they’re in real life and there are kids playing in the yard across the street. But Odin kisses him so passionately at that moment that Niles is afraid to push him back and tell him to take a breath.  _

 

_ He only has to wait it out a little longer before Odin does pull back, panting, and lays his forehead on Niles’s. “I had a revelation today. Maybe even an epiphany of sorts.”  _

 

_ “Yeah?” Niles asks, fighting hard not to pant himself. He still tries to act unaffected by every little touch and kiss. It’s a losing battle. Odin knows. They’ve been together like this for three months. Odin knows everything about how to make Niles lose his cool.  _

 

_ “I’m in love with you. Wildly! You’re all I think about--it’s so obvious. Of course, I could have been shy about it, but once I realized I got so excited, I just had to tell you."  _

 

_ The whole while he says it he’s playing with Niles’s hair. Tucking his bangs back behind his ear a little. It’s hot--the most of his hair is tied up in a ponytail today. The whole time Odin confesses his love he looks blindly happy and grossly into Niles and it’s enough to make him smile.  _

 

_ “I’ve never been in love before,” Niles coos at him, “If I admit I love you too, will you take good care of my heart, Mr. Hero?”  Odin’s first response is to kiss him all over again, and Niles happily accepts that as a yes. They’re going to be together forever. Niles has never been good at predicting the future, but he can tell. This is real. _

**✫✫✫**

 

Niles rubs his arms. He needs to go, really. It’s obvious now more than ever he’s not equipped to talk to Odin yet. It would be nice if they could rekindle their friendship and hang out more often. It would be really nice, but Niles can’t. He’s not ready. There’s still an empty spot in his chest shaped like Odin’s kisses. 

 

He thought he could ignore it, of course. It’s not like he didn’t try. His relationship with his ex failed but it wasn’t because Niles was hopelessly in love with  _ Odin Dark _ . It was a combination of a lot of things. More than that, it was the way she treated their daughters that turned into a year-long custody battle and ultimately a restraining order. 

 

He snaps out of his thoughts when he hears a text tone. It’s not his own, but Odin’s. He glances at it and then across the way at Laslow… and he bites his lip. “Niles? I’ve got to leave. But I don’t want to lose you again. Here,” he says. He reaches out and pulls Niles’s hand up in his own. Like they’re in high school or something, he literally produces a permanent marker and writes his phone number on the palm of Niles’s hand. “Text me so I can save your number too, alright? Farewell!” 

 

Niles doesn’t even get to say goodbye, and maybe that’s just karma because it’s not like he got to say goodbye the first time he let Odin fade out of his life. He looks down at his palm and there’s his phone number. Niles doesn’t think it’s actually changed since high school… it feels familiar. It’s written out neatly, Odin has always had very precise handwriting, and there’s a little heart drawn off to the side of it.

 

What does that mean?

 

**✫✫✫**

_ Odin rolls on top of him. Niles shoves at him with his free hand. The other hand is limply holding the melty bottom half of a bomb pop. “Odin it’s too hot,” He half whines… but then he snorts. They’re in Odin’s room, at his parent’s house. The ceiling fan is running, clicking away as it wibbles. There’s a tower fan across the room oscillating around too, making a lot of noise. It doesn’t make a difference. Two fans and popsicles don’t matter when the heat is up higher than it’s ever been. A record high for Nohr! Probably global warming.  _

 

_ Odin is just in his underwear. Boxer shorts, that is. Niles isn’t in his underwear because he doesn’t  _ live here _ and he doesn’t want to offend Odin’s dad. He’s tall and very serious looking and could probably take Niles in a fight. Like definitely. Niles is just in a pair of shorts though; he doesn't have on a shirt. It’s too hot for that shit. He’s just got his hair falling out of a low ponytail at his neck because he’s been laying on Odin’s pillow for so long. _

 

_ But now Odin is on top of him and Niles can already feel sweat forming between their chests. Odin kisses up his jaw and neck but Niles keeps shoving. “Odin--I love you, I really do, but I’m going to melt.”  _

 

_ "You won't melt," Odin says. He kisses Niles's lips and he tastes like popsicles and sweat and it's so dumb but Niles lets the popsicle in his hand drop gently onto Odin's bedside table. Instead, he reaches up and pushes his fingers through the sort-of-damp ends of Odin's hair and keeps him close. He grips his bicep gently and opens his mouth into their kiss. Is it cooler that way? Maybe it just makes it easier to breathe when it's so muggy even indoors. "I love you too," Odin barely manages to whisper it into their kisses.  _

 

_ “Don’t make me horny when it’s a hundred degrees in here,” Niles mutters right back. He only sort of means it. _

**✫✫✫**

 

When Niles gets home his babies aren't in bed. That's the first thing he notices because when he wanders into the living room to flop onto the couch and fall into a pit of insecurity and despair it's taken up by two little girls and Leo watching game shows. Ophelia is asleep. She's sitting up but her whole upper body is slumped into Leo and she's drooling on his shirt a little bit while she sleeps. On Leo's other side Nina is almost there too, but when Niles walks into the room she perks up a bit. 

 

“Dad,” She says quietly, “What took so long?” 

 

“I thought I told you to be good for Leo and let him put you to bed?” Niles asks her. Nina shrugs her shoulders. Niles walks closer and she lifts up her arms for him. Simple as that he scoops her up so he can carry her up to bed. “Were they monsters?” 

 

“They were the same as always,” Leo answers. He uses the remote to turn off the television and then he shuffles to pick up Ophelia without waking her. In an ideal world, it would have been a success, but she whines in his hold. She'll go right back to sleep there on his shoulder, Niles is certain. "But they wanted to stay up and ask you how the reunion went." 

 

“And you fell for it,” Niles clicks his tongue. “The reunion went exactly how I thought it would. It was long and boring and awful.” 

 

Well, he didn’t expect to meet Odin again. He didn’t think he would have his number burning a hole through his hand. He starts up the stairs to Nina and Ophelia’s room and when he pushes open the door he has to kick some toys out of the way to make a path to Nina’s bed. He drops her onto her sheets and she giggles because it wasn’t so gentle. “Did you see all your old friends?” 

 

“A few of them,” Niles says. “I’ll tell you more about it in the morning, kiddo. Go to sleep.” He kisses the top of her head and Nina groans but turns over to sleep. Just a quick glance over his shoulder and he sees that Leo is laying Ophelia down. She turns over to settle into her bed right away… and the two of them sneak out of the room together. 

 

“So.” Leo begins to roll up his sleeves, but he stops to glance at Niles. “I hope you don’t expect me to wait until morning. Did you enjoy yourself at all at the reunion? If it was as horrible as you say it was I may not go to mine next year.” 

 

“It wasn’t so bad,” Niles mutters. “It was interesting to see who got fat anyway.” He walks back towards the stairs. He wanted to collapse onto that couch and he still intends to, now that it’s vacant. But Leo follows him and, to his dismay, he also leans over the back of the sofa to watch him.

 

“And?” 

 

“And what?” Niles asks. But he hesitates to look at his hand again. Actually, this is a prime time to get Leo’s advice. He knows all there is to know about Niles and Odin and the choices they made. “Odin gave me his number.” 

 

“Odin was there,” Leo says. “You talked with him long?” 

 

“I wouldn’t say  _ long _ . He had to leave and he gave me his number and told me to text him.” 

 

“So did you?” 

 

“No.” 

 

“Are you planning to?” 

 

“I don’t  _ know _ .” Niles doesn’t know what he wants. He lays a throw pillow over his head just as he notices Leo walking around to sit on the arm of the couch. “A few years ago maybe, yeah.” 

 

“A few years ago you were in a relationship. Now you’re not--if he’s inviting you to try it with him again…” 

 

“He didn’t say that. He just said text me.” If Odin said  _ consider dating me again _ Niles would have probably had a heart attack on the spot. He’s too old for that shit. He takes a breath and tries to act like his eyes don’t sting like he wants to cry or something. Thankfully the pillow barrier between himself and Leo is helping. “Even if he  _ did _ want to pick that back up, I can’t. I have kids--I don’t want to waste their time or hurt them.” 

 

“It’s very noble of you to put aside your feelings for your daughters, Niles,” Leo says. Niles thinks it’s pretty noble too, thanks. But then Leo keeps talking and he groans. “That being the case I suppose I’ll watch them for you when you go out on your date.” 

 

“There is no date!” Niles pulls the pillow off of his face and uses it to thwap Leo’s shoulder. “Listen, if he wanted to ask me out he would have. He’s always been Mr. Confidence, remember?” 

 

"I remember he was too afraid to ask you to prom," Leo mutters back.

 

Yeah. Niles remembers that too.

 

…

 

“You didn’t  _ get his number?” _ Laslow hisses. They’re in their hotel room. They just flew down for a night, really. For the reunion. He’s only a little tipsy but Odin hasn’t had enough to drink to put how poorly their talk at the reunion went out of his mind. 

 

“I couldn’t--we didn’t have enough time to talk,” Odin huffs. “I gave him mine.” 

 

“Yes, which means you don’t have his.” Laslow flops back on the bed and groans. “You know, you’re the one who wanted to come to this silly reunion.” 

 

“I know, because--” 

 

“Because you wanted to rekindle your star-crossed romance. Odin, I know. But he was right there. And he still looked good! He didn’t get fat or ugly or bald any--what in the world made you back off? I thought you were planning to woo him.” 

 

Odin sighs for probably the fifteenth time in the hour. It’s not easy to explain. He’s missed Niles for  _ so long _ . He always thought he could come back and win him over again, but the timing never seemed right. He was never even really sure why Niles stopped talking to him in college, either. Odin was  _ in love _ with him. Sure, they put their relationship on pause… but that was so they could both focus, wasn’t it? Odin always thought it was. If he knew Niles was asking him to choose between him or school maybe he would have chosen differently. 

 

Or maybe Niles just stopped feeling the same way about him. “He’s got a couple daughters. They’re cute.”

 

“Oh. He’s married. That’s what stopped you,” Laslow says. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed you were reverting back to your senior year of high school. Lords, I remember you talking about him endlessly for so long because you were just too chicken to ask him." 

 

“...” 

 

“Odin?” 

 

“He’s not married, I just backed out. But you don’t understand--he didn’t seem interested at all. He wanted to get away from me from the moment our eyes met. It was terrible.” 

 

Laslow rolls onto his stomach. He hugs a pillow and turns his head to watch Odin while he talks. He doesn't look happy either, but in his defense, Odin is miserable too. "Oh well. At least now you have some closure, don't you? It wouldn't have worked between you two. You can close that chapter of your life." 

 

Odin doesn’t want to close it. He wants to figure out what he did wrong. Niles asked him if he was dating Cynthia. Did he think they ever dated? They didn’t. Odin didn’t date at all through college. And… well, he hasn’t dated much since either. It’s not the same when his heart is set on one person and that one person is out of reach. 

 

It was like fireworks went off when he touched Niles’s shoulder today. Like his entire body reacted to finding his  _ soulmate _ again after all these years. Fate was certainly playing a card, but Odin simply wasn’t dealt the right hand. 

 

His phone buzzes and so he reaches out to look at it. He assumes it’s just an email, but it’s a message from a number he doesn’t have saved. It takes him a minute to realize what that means. 

 

_ Will you still be in town tomorrow? _

 

Odin isn’t sure what else to do in his excitement but to whack Laslow’s arm. “Hey!” He shouts, but then he looks at the message too and Laslow breathes out a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank goodness. Quickly! Ask him to meet you for breakfast or lunch. I’ll pack up our things and we’ll head out when you finish up.” 

 

Odin isn’t really listening to Laslow, though. He’s just thinking about the last time that he texted Niles. It would have been college, probably. It feels like it’s been forever. 

 

_ I’m leaving in the afternoon. Would you like to get lunch? _

 

_ No. _

_ that ice cream place you used to like is actually still open _

_ I wanna buy you one of those obnoxious sundaes you used to like _

_ I bet u still like them too. _

_ And i bet they’re still obnoxious _

 

_ What! The one that old couple used to run?? _

_ How could i be so blind? Lunch was a terrible idea _

_ I would rather have ice cream any day. _

 

_ Because ur a child _

_ Anyway u still remember where it’s at right _

 

_ It was across from that park _

_ The one where you broke my nose _

_ Right _

 

_ Oh absolutely not i will cancel this date right now _

_ You’re the dumbass who broke your own nose _

_ I never told you to hang on those bars like spiderman _

 

_ I distinctly remember it being your fault _

 

_ You remember wrong. _

_ See u tomorrow nerd. _

 

**✫✫✫**

_ The bell above the door jingles but Niles barely notices it because he’s a little preoccupied trying to guide his boyfriend into the building. He’s hit with a wave of cold air--it’s always chilly in here. But he pulls Odin over to a red and silver bar stool and he frantically grabs some paper napkins. “Here, use these,” he says. _

 

_ He’s bleeding. It’s not great. He fell right off of those monkey bars and onto his nose, and it’s clear it hurts. “Let me see.”  _

 

_ “No!” Odin pushes the paper napkins to his nose to try and catch the blood. They turn red right away. The little old lady who owns the shop comes out and gasps.  _

 

_ “Oh dear--Odin I’ll call your mother for you.”  _

 

_ “I--uh--thank you!”  _

 

_ Honestly, Niles isn't the slightest bit surprised that this old lady knows Lissa's phone number. She knows everyone in town and no one knows her. They just call her Granny and she lets them. "Come on, then. I need to see it."  _

 

_ “Okay,” Odin mumbles, “but don’t  _ touch it _!”  _

 

_ “I’m not going to touch it,” Niles says. He pulls the napkins away from Odin’s nose and he winces. “Yikes.”  _

 

_ “That bad?”  _

 

_ “Your whole nose is turning purple. I think it’s broken.” Niles walks behind the counter to the sink and he gets one of the napkins wet. When he comes back he uses it to wipe off Odin’s upper lip and cheek a little bit. “The blood is slowing down, I think.”  _

 

_ “This is your fault, you know.”  _

 

_ “What? How is it my fault--because I didn’t want to kiss you while you were hanging upside down? I would have had to bend over weird.”  _

 

_ “Because you turned away my affections! I’m cursed now. I’ll have a mangled face and you’ll never kiss me again.”  _

 

_ "Okay," Niles snorts. "Well, that's not true, you moron. I'll kiss you again even if your nose is broken." _

 

_ “Even if it’s in one of those ugly little casts?”  _

 

_ “Oh, trust me. It looks bad. You’ll be getting one of those ugly casts.” _

 

_ “So much for my bleeding edge aesthetic.”  _

 

_ “Well, you’re doing a good job bleeding anyway.” Niles kisses the top of Odin’s head. “I guess you can say it’s my fault. Just as long as you don’t learn to hate me for it.”  _

 

_ “I’m going to say it’s your fault forever… but I could never hate you. You’re the starlight to my darkness! I will always love you.”  _

**✫✫✫**

 

The ice cream shop is kind of dead. It always is. It’s not even an ice cream shop, it’s actually a  _ Soda Shoppe _ and it’s been running since the dawn of time. By now Niles is pretty sure it’s only open because the city thinks of it as a little bit of a landmark. 

 

The old couple who used to run it when they were teenagers doesn’t anymore. Maybe they died but maybe they just retired. There’s a woman about twenty years older than him running it now. Maybe their daughter? It would be nice to think they just passed it down their family line.

 

Niles is nervous, sitting here waiting for Odin. Over the course of that summer they had together, they came here about a million times. But that was ten years ago, and honestly, it feels empty and strange now. He sits down in that same old booth in the corner they always shared, but there's something missing.

 

Maybe confidence? The last time Niles and Odin sat in this booth together Niles was confidently in love with him. Now he’s anxiously wondering if they can try again. He doesn’t even know how to ask, either, because he was really rude the night before. He didn’t ask Odin anything about where he lives or what he does or if he was in a relationship. He was just dodging his way around the conversation because he got nervous and wanted to run away. 

 

It’s easy to run away from things that feel too good to be true. 

 

The bell over the door jingles and Niles’s head snaps up. He sucks in a breath while Odin looks directly to this booth. Some things never change, Niles supposes. He hopes Odin’s smile never does. So while Odin slips into the booth Niles sits up a little straighter and he says “I already ordered your sundae.” 

 

"What? No fair--you didn't pay for it yet, did you? I was going to steal the ticket while you weren't looking." Odin's voice is a little deeper than Niles remembers. Maybe he wasn't done growing yet when he was eighteen. It makes sense; he looks much more grown up. But in the same breath, he still looks like a free spirit. He doesn't look like he's tied down. Niles doesn't want to tie him down. Maybe this is a bad idea after all. 

 

Or maybe he’s overthinking this just like he did ten years ago because it’s easier to let Odin walk away and assume it’s better for him than to put himself out there. He blinks because Odin is waving his hand in front of his face. “Niles?” He asks.

 

“Huh? I’m paying for it. It’s--sorry.” 

 

Odin frowns. “I can always pay you back later. Are you alright?” 

 

“I’m fine.” Niles can’t help but smile a little. Odin is right here. For the first time in years, he could just  _ talk to him _ . “Just thinking about how we used to hang out here so often.” 

 

“It’s one of the things I miss most about Nohr, actually,” Odin says. “But I’m pretty established in Ylisse now, and things are finally going right at work. I’m afraid coming back would be difficult. Er, but anyway… may I ask you a question?” 

 

Before he asks anything the woman running the shoppe brings them their ice cream. And Niles snorts at that dumb sundae Odin got. He didn’t order it but it’s what he would have wanted anyway. Sans any strawberries to spare him a trip to the hospital. He doesn’t even check though, he just takes a bite of ice cream and assumes he’s fine. Or maybe he just trusts Niles to remember.

 

Niles is sure he knows where the question is going, but he says “Ask away,” anyway. 

 

“Did you stop talking to me all those years ago because you thought I was dating Cynthia?”

 

“Wow, that was very direct.” Niles clears his throat. “Yes. I--well I was just a kid. I guess I saw you spending more and more time with her and decided you were over me and I needed to back off. But I’ve gathered now that you were never dating Cynthia.” 

 

“And I was never over you,” Odin adds. Niles feels like his whole body seizes up. He looks back up and Odin is watching him… and he wishes he would just eat that ice cream and focus on anything but the way Niles’s mind is spinning out. 

 

What does he expect Niles to say? What is the next rational line in conversation?  _ I was never over you either? I’m still not over you? If you asked me right now I think I’d still say I’m in love with you? _

 

“I really thought there would be some small talk first,” He says on a sharp exhale. He doesn’t know what else to say! He knew they were going to talk about this. He asked Odin here to talk about this. Maybe he’s just less ready than he thought.

 

“I’m sorry. Some things are too important to muddle with small talk. The only reason I came to Nohr for this reunion was so that I might see you again. I lost all contacts with you, your number is different, you don’t have the same address, I haven’t seen you on social media… I just needed closure.” 

 

“Closure,” Niles repeats the word. Closure, because they’re shutting the door. Odin already said he’s not coming back to Nohr. Niles tries to eat some of his ice cream just to cover for his own silence, but he doesn’t do so well with it. His throat is tight. “Because it’s over,” he almost croaks. 

 

Odin looks like a kicked puppy. His whole face turns into a startled frown. “It--well it ended once. But all the best stories have a sequel. It doesn’t have to--I don’t know what’s going on in your life right now, it’s just that--Well I... “ 

 

Usually, it's funny when Odin doesn't know what to say. It's not right now, though. Niles just wants to  _ know _ . “What do you  _ want _ ?” 

 

“I want  _ you _ back. And I know it's complex! You have a family to take care of now, we aren't children, and Ylisse is far, but… Well, I told you. When you love someone you have to chase them and fight for them and I came all the way back here to find you. I can’t leave without at least  _ asking _ .” 

 

He wants to say yes so badly. He wants to leap the table and touch his face and kiss his stupid forehead for being so bold about it and say yes. But Odin is right. Nina and Ophelia are the first priority right now. Niles can’t just uproot them on a whim. “I don’t know how we’ll make it work.” 

 

“I see.” 

 

“Odin--No, you don’t see--shut up,” Niles mutters, “I’m not saying no. Just let me figure out all of the,” he waves his hand around for a moment. “Extra stuff.” 

 

The extra stuff is mostly his daughters. Really they’re the ones who would be most impacted if Niles started dating again. Ophelia is too young to know her mother, but would Nina be upset? What if this went well and Niles decided to move to Ylisse? Could he even do that? He looks past Odin and towards a booth a few spaces away. He just means to zone out for a moment, to withdraw into his thoughts but… as soon as he looks over he notices movement. Two heads duck down into a menu… but one doesn’t. One little girl sees him, locks eyes with him, and waves. 

 

Speak of the devils. 

 

“I don’t expect you to figure out all of the extra stuff right now,” Odin says softly. But then he squints at Niles and looks over his shoulder behind him. By the time he looks there’s nothing out of the ordinary, though, because Ophelia has slipped out of the booth and is toddling towards Niles. She crawls up onto the seat with Niles and picks up his spoon so she can eat his ice cream. 

 

"Hi, Papa."

 

“Hi, Princess. What are you doing here?” 

 

“We’re spying.” 

 

Niles meets Odin’s gaze. Odin’s face melts into a grin when he starts to piece the scenario together. Niles puts his cheek in his hand and watches his baby girl take a bite of ice cream. “Who are you spying on?” 

 

“Uhm… you. Papa… what does spying mean?” 

 

Oh, she’s precious. Even more precious is that Nina comes storming over only seconds later. “It means secret! Ophelia, you weren't supposed to come over here!" She scoots into the booth with them. Niles has to scoot in a little way to make room… and then he reaches for another wrapped, plastic spoon and opens it for Nina. Before she takes it she puts out her hand like she wants to shake Odin’s. “Hi! You’re Odin, right? I'm Nina. I like your spiky hair." 

 

Odin grins wider. He shakes her hand. “Thank you! I like your braids.” 

 

“Thanks. Uncle Leo did them today so they actually look good.” 

 

“Hurtful,” Niles mutters. Speaking of Uncle Leo, he wanders over to the booth on his own a moment later. He stops next to Odin and clears his throat. 

 

“You probably don’t remember me,” 

 

“Leo!” Odin stands up from his seat and literally throws his arms around Leo to hug him. Leo’s shoulders get tense and his face is  _ priceless _ but then he sags in his arms and pats Odin’s back.

 

“Alright, then, you do remember me.” 

 

“How could I forget? We spent half a summer trying to beat that video game in your father’s basement.” 

 

“Right, well, I’m not playing video games in my father’s basement anymore,” Leo says. Odin scoots into the booth and Leo sits down in it with him. 

 

“But did you ever beat that one?”    
  


“I,” Leo opens his mouth, but he stutters to a stop. Then he closes his mouth and rolls his eyes. The tiniest, proudest smile flicks its way up over his lips. “Yes.”

 

_ “Anyway _ ,” Niles interrupts them. He gestures to the three extra bodies at the table--two of which have devoured his ice cream. “I’m going to venture a guess and assume this was Nina’s idea.” 

 

"Plan," Nina corrects. "And it would have worked too if Ophelia hadn't blown our cover." 

 

Niles glances at Leo. Leo tries to keep a pretty straight face, but he's still smiling just a little bit. "She brought up some fine points, Niles. I'm certain she'll do well in debate when she's a little older." 

 

Niles doesn’t get to say anything. He hears a phone buzz and unfortunately it’s not his own. It’s Odin’s. He watches him lift it up and he watches him frown at it and suddenly he remembers that this won’t last. Odin has to go back home and Niles is going to stay here. 

 

“I, that is,” Odin starts. 

 

Niles cuts in. “Let me walk you out. Nina, Ophelia,  _ stay here  _ with Leo.”

 

They’re both sort of shoved into the booth so it’s a struggle to get out, but all too soon they’re standing outside the door of the old soda shoppe and Niles has his arms folded. “Time to head back?” 

 

“Yes. But it’s just--well I had hoped we might be able to sort through this a little further.” Odin tucks his hands into his back pockets and rocks on his heels anxiously. “And, well, I wanted to…” 

 

“Wanted to what?” 

 

Odin’s cheeks turn that cute shade of red they used to burn all the time back in high school. Niles unfolds his arms just so he can take a step closer. He slips two of his fingers into Odin’s front pocket to snag him closer… and the rest is familiar. He’s still taller. Niles still pushes off his toes to kiss him just a little more aggressively than he should. Just like the first time, Odin startles. 

 

Unlike the first time, this isn't new and exciting and raw. This is sort of… comfortable. Niles's eyes slide shut and Odin doesn't squeak so much as he sighs in relief. It's sort of like… curling up with a blanket and a book on a rainy day. It's not just comfortable, not just familiar, but it's like taking care of himself when he's been putting it off for too long 

 

Well, maybe it’s a  _ little _ exciting. Odin kisses him until it’s hard to breathe and then he kisses his cheek and forehead and just  _ radiates _ happiness at him. Niles slides his hands down from Odin’s shoulders (he’s not even sure when they got there) to his hands… and he loops their pinkies together in a way he hasn’t done since they were stupid high school kids. Both hands--Odin always said a pinky promise was twice as strong that way. He doesn’t hold their hands between them, though, just casually swings them while he says “I’ll text you.” 

 

“We can make this work!” Odin says like he’s the most confident man in this world. “I’ll text you, too. I’ll come back to visit, maybe, I--” 

 

“Slow down,” Niles coos. “You’re late to get back home, remember? We can talk about all of this later. Right now try not to focus on the complicated bits.” 

 

“Okay.” In fact, just as Odin says the words a taxi pulls up. Laslow rolls down the window and waves from the back seat, and Odin must realize this is it, he has to go home. He leans down and pecks Niles one more time, his kiss is like pop-rocks tingling against Niles’s lips and in his chest. “As soon as we get off the plane, I’ll text you.”   
  
“I’ll count the seconds,” Niles hums. He thinks that’s it, that’s their goodbye… but then Odin quickly kisses his cheek one last time and adds one more thing. 

 

"By the way, your daughters are just as gorgeous as you are and you never told me Ophelia's middle name so I'm going to assume that it's Dusk and that you properly named her after our flour sack baby." 

 

“I,” Niles’s face twists up in a laugh. “It’s  _ not _ .” But he’s already in the car. Niles brings his fingertips up to his lips and tries to cover the stupid smile spreading wide over his face. Odin waves one last time when the car pulls away. 

 

Maybe this is the happy ending he deserves? Niles turns around. Not surprisingly he sees Nina’s head bob down to hide behind the door. He opens it carefully so he doesn’t hit her, and he steps back inside. “You’re awful at this, luv,” He whispers to her while he gently swats her back to get her moving. “Come on, now. There’s nothing to see here.” 

 

“You guys were  _ kiiiiiissssinggg!”  _

 

“No, no. He was choking--I was just helping him breathe.” 

 

"No, you  _ weren’t _ .” 

 

…

  
  


**✫** _E P I L O G U E  --_ **✫**

 

_ Hey, can you pick up Ophelia from her dance class _

_ Nina has been sitting in this salon for 30 minutes _

_ She still doesn’t know how short she wants her hair _

 

_ She’s about to start middle school! _

_ Don’t rush her--haircuts are big decisions _

_ Style is important! _

 

_ You’ve had the same spiky hairstyle since YOU _

_ were in middle school. What do you know about style _

 

_ That it’s important to middle school girls _

_ Do you want us to pick up dinner too? _

 

_ Yeah that would save me a trip to _

_ Oh _

_ Wait _

_ No you cant because you dont have your bank card _

 

_ Wait what? _

_ Did you take it out of my wallet _

 

_ Nina did _

_ Because i told her to _

_ Because i didn’t want her to have mine _

 

_ It’s the same account!  _

_ Did she need to buy something? _

_ Wait i’m confused why didn’t you just buy it for her _

 

_ No no buying _

_ She wanted to learn how to unlock doors _

_ With credit cards _

 

_ Doesn’t that usually bend up the card _

 

_ Right _

_ Which is why i made her practice with yours _

_ Anyway we’ll get pizza on our way home _

 

_ If i’m there! You may find that i’ve filed for divorce! _

_ Don’t let Nina ruin all my stuff! It’s sentimental!  _

 

_ It’s a card with a picture of a dog on it _

 

_ MY dog!  _

 

_ We don’t have a dog luv sorry to break it to u _

 

_ Alright. You win. _

 

_ I do? _

 

_ Yes. i forgive you for letting nina ruin my card. _

 

_ That’s very big of you. _

 

_ On ONE condition. _

 

_ Ah, who could have seen this coming. _

_ I’m glad i’m sitting down. _

 

_ I think we should get a dog. _

 

_ I’m more of a cat person. _

 

_ Nina loves dogs! _

 

_ Oph asked for a cat last week. _

 

_ This is silly. We shouldn’t argue. _

 

_ I’m actually having fun. _

 

_ We should come to an agreement. _

_ Settle this like adults. _

_ We’re married!  _

_ We make choices together, we compromise. _

 

_ That so? Then what do you suggest _

_ Oh wise odin dark _

 

_ Well i was thinking we should get both _

 

_ Not happening _

 

_ Why don’t we at least discuss it! _

_ The pros and cons need to be weighed! _

 

_ Why don’t we just put a pin in this _

 

_ Maybe we should discuss it over dinner _

_ With the girls _

 

_ Don’t you dare even imply we’re getting a cat _

_ OR a dog to those girls. They’ll believe you. _

 

_ I believe me!  _

 

_ Odin i swear to god don’t you dare tell them _

 

_ Oh! Sorry! Gotta go pick up Ophelia!  _

_ Can’t hear you! You’re cutting out! _

 

_ This is a goddamn text message odin _

_ Oh my god _

_ I’m getting a divorce _

 

_ I’ll take the dog in the divorce. _

 

_ There’s the idiot i know and love. _

  
  



End file.
